The Pittsburgh Steelers won big in Las Vegas, beating the Raiders 32-13 Sunday evening. Following the performance and before the team gets a plane to go home, head coach Mike Tomlin offered an update on the health of the team.
“Zach Frazier’s got an ankle injury,” Tomlin told reporters via the team’s YouTube channel. “It’ll be evaluated. There were some other guys who went out of the game and were able to return. Minkah Fitzpatrick was able to go back with a shoulder. Donte Jackson was able to go back with a shoulder. We’ll keep assessing those things.”
Frazier suffered a left ankle injury in the second half, getting rolled up on at the end of a play. Here’s a look.
He walked off with the help from trainers and was taken to the blue tent. Per CBS sideline reporter Evan Washburn, upon exiting, he attempted practice snaps with backup QB Russell Wilson with his helmet on, but the team decided to send him to the locker room for further examination. He was replaced by Ryan McCollum and the Steelers scored on the next play on RB Najee Harris’ 36-yard run. Frazier was initially called questionable before being downgraded to doubtful. In a game in which Pittsburgh was leading comfortably, there was no need to even consider putting Frazier back in the game.
Pittsburgh has seen its top two centers get hurt this year, losing Nate Herbig to a torn rotator cuff that allowed Frazier to step into the starting lineup ahead of the regular season. It’s one of many o-line injuries the team has dealt with this year, losing RG James Daniels and RT Troy Fautanu for the regular season. Hopefully, this injury for Frazier isn’t nearly as dire.
Fitzpatrick suffered the right shoulder injury midway through the game on a play out of bounds. He was replaced by S Terrell Edmunds for a handful of snaps but finished the game. Jackson has battled a shoulder injury the past several weeks.
